The Walking Dead Season 1:Charlotte's Story
by sofialorido995
Summary: A little girl named Charlotte who is looking for her parents finds Rick Grimes at the local gas station and he takes her in as his adopted daughter and they run into a group of survivors in Atlanta. What will happen? Read and find out.
1. Chapter 1:Meeting Rick Grimes

Charlotte's POV:

3 year old Charlotte was walking all by herself in Atlanta by deserted parked cars at an abandoned gas station, she was looking for her mommy and daddy.

"Momma... Papa?" All of a sudden she heard a man's voice. "Little girl? I'm a policeman. Little girl." Charlotte looked around wondering where the voice was coming from, her daddy was a policeman too so it could be him! Charlotte saw a man walking toward something and smiled thinking he was her daddy.

"Daddy!"

Rick's POV:

"Daddy!" Rick turned around and saw a little girl who looked to be three years old with blonde hair and green eyes running toward him. He knelt down to her height when she caught up to him and she wrapped her little arms around his neck. He hugged her back. "Daddy! I found you!" Rick released the little girl slowly and looked at her with a sad look on his face. Her parents were probably already gone. The little girl looked up at Rick and frowned. "You not daddy. Where my daddy?!"

Rick looked down sympathetically at the child, "I'm sorry sweetheart. I don't know." The little girl's lips started to quiver and her eyes watered. "I have no daddy no more?" Rick wiped away her tears. "That's not true darlin.' You have me. I'll be your daddy." The little girl smiled a big smile and hugged him again. "Daddy! I wuv you Daddy!" Rick smiled and hugged her back, when they let go of each other Rick realized he didn't know her name or age. "What's your name sweetie?" "My name Charlotte!" Rick smiled warmly. "And how old are you Charlotte?" Charlotte held up three fingers. "I'm thwee!" Rick chuckled warmly. "Well aren't you a big girl. You want to come with me too meet your new mommy and big brother?" Charlotte smiled. "Yeah!" Rick smiled. "All right. Then let's go." He picked up Charlotte in his arms and then pointed ahead. "You see that little girl walking away?" Charlotte nodded her little head up and down. "We are going to take her with us ok?" Charlotte smiled and made an ok sign with her little fingers. "Otay!"

Rick shook his head and chuckled warmly. "Ok, let's go." Rick turned his attention back to the other little girl who was taller than Charlotte. "Little girl?" The little girl stops walking. "Don't be afraid. Okay? Little girl." The little girl turns around and Rick stares in shock. The little girl's face is missing parts of her cheek. Charlotte points her little finger and shrieks. "Monster!" Rick pats her gently on the back. "Don't look." Charlotte buries her face in Rick's neck. Rick pulls out his gun and shoots the little girl in the head. Charlotte starts crying and Rick rubs her back affectionately. "Shh it's ok. It'll be ok." Charlotte eventually calms down and Rick gives her a kiss on the forehead. "Your safe now. Come on let's go. Your safe with me ok?" Charlotte nods her head slowly. "Otay." Rick with Charlotte sitting in the back seat broadcasts on the radio over an emergency channel. "Broadcasting on emergency channel. We'll be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. Anybody reads, please respond. Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Anybody out there? Anybody hears me, please respond. Hello, can you hear my voice? I've got a three year old with me. Can anybody hear me?"

Rick pulls the photograph that he has of his family off of the window. He walks to the back door of the car opens it unbuckles Charlotte's seatbelt and takes her in his arms. He starts to walk down the road to find some gasoline that he can use to continue his ride to Atlanta. They come upon a house. Charlotte looks up at Rick, concern on her face. Rick looks down at her and notices the expression on Charlotte's face. "I'm here, don't worry. It'll be ok." Charlotte looks uncertain but nods anyway. "Hello? Police officer out here. Can I borrow some gas? Hello? Hello? Anybody home?"

Rick looks inside and sees two dead bodies with flies buzzing around them. There is a message on the wall written in blood saying "God Forgive Us". Charlotte looks away. Rick walks over to the truck that is sitting in the driveway, but there are no keys. Frustrated, he starts to walk back, but notices a horse. Charlotte squeals. "Horsie!" Rick smiles warmly, walks toward it and coaxes it. "Easy now, easy. I'm not gonna hurt you. Nothing like that. More like a proposal. Atlanta's just down the road ways. It's safe there. Food, shelter, people, other horses too, I bet. How's that sound?" Charlotte giggles and claps her little hands. "Yay!" Rick chuckled and gave Charlotte a kiss on the forehead. Rick wraps the harness around the horse. "There we go. Good boy. Good boy. Now come with us. Come with us." He leads it out of the stable. Rick and Charlotte ride the horse down the fields. Charlotte claps her hands. "Yay! Go horsie go!" Rick laughs out loud. "Hold on tight Charlotte!" Rick continues to ride the horse calmly with Charlotte sitting in front of him. "Let's go easy, ok? I haven't done this for years. Easy. Easy, boy. Easy, easy, easy." Charlotte giggled. "This is fun! Giddy up!" Rick chuckled. "Yeah it is fun." They eventually get to the outskirts of Atlanta. One side of the highway is empty while the other side of the highway is packed with several cars that have been wrecked or abandoned. Rick continues to ride down the empty side of the highway to enter Atlanta. They ride into the city and along the streets. They see that the streets are abandoned and there is trash everywhere. Rick leads the horse down the street where there are helicopters, cars, and even a tank wrecked along the road. They ride past a bus and some of the walkers see them. They get up and start to walk toward them. Rick doesn't panic. But Charlotte sees them and points, "More monsters!" The horse starts to panic. "It's ok. It's ok. Steady. It's just a few. Nothing we can't outrun." They ride past them and go to ride down the street. The horse gets panicky again. "Okay, whoa whoa whoa." He and Charlotte look up on the tank and see a dead body that is being pecked at by crows. They ride past the tank and look up in the air. They see a helicopter fly past them. Rick looks down at Charlotte. "Charlotte honey I need you to listen to daddy. We're going to flag down that helicopter, so I need you to hold on tight. Ok." "Otay daddy." Rick starts to ride in the direction of the helicopter, but when he turns at the corner, there is a lot of walkers. All of them shuffle after Rick and he rides back down the street he came from. He then comes across another huge group of walkers. Rick and Charlotte struggle to get away but they're trapped. Rick with Charlotte in his arms falls off the horse and starts to crawl away from it. Some of the walkers eat the horse and Rick realizes that he has dropped his gun bag. He crawls underneath the tank with Charlotte in his arms while walkers still try to catch them. "Lori, Carl, Charlotte. I'm sorry." Charlotte sees that he is about to shoot himself. "Daddy! No!" But all of a sudden she's picked up and pulled into the tank by Rick. Rick sits her down gently by a dead soldier shuts the hatch doors and sits next to Charlotte. Suddenly Charlotte screams, "Monster!" Rick turns his head to see the soldier now reanimated, he doesn't hesitate to shoot the undead soldier, then there's a horrible ringing sound in Rick and Charlotte's ears. "Too loud!" Charlotte whines her hands covering her ears. "Don't worry, it'll pass." Rick assures her. "Otay." Charlotte says. Finally the ringing noise subsides and Charlotte uncovers her ears, just then the radio in the tank starts to make static sounds, and a voice on the other end starts talking. "Hey, you. Dumb ass. Hey, you in the tank. Cozy in there?" Rick and Charlotte realize that they aren't alone.

Some of the walkers continue to eat the horse. Others are converging on the tank still trying to get at Rick and Charlotte inside the tank.


	2. Chapter 2:Meeting Glenn and the Group

Chapter 2:Meeting Glenn and the Group

Rick and Charlotte are still inside the tank when the voice is heard on the radio again. "Hey, are you alive in there?" Rick answers the walkie. "Hello? Hello?" The man on the radio answers, "There you are. You had me wondering. Where's the kid? Please tell me she's with you?" Rick hands the walkie to Charlotte, she looks up at Rick with a confused expression on her face. "What's dat?" Rick sighs remembering she's only three. "It's a walkie talkie you speak into it." Charlotte's mouth made an O, "Oh... Otay!" She takes the walkie from Rick. Charlotte squeals into the walkie. "Hi man my name Charlotte!" "Nice to meet you Charlotte!" There's laughing heard from the other end and the man on the other end is chuckling, Rick chuckled too. Charlotte looks at the walkie than Rick confused. "What's so funny?" The voice on the other end and Rick stop chuckling and the laughter dies down, "Nothing. Can you put your daddy back on sweetie?" Charlotte nods. "Otay!" Charlotte hands the walkie back to Rick. "Where are you? Outside? Can you see us right now?" The voice on the walkie answers, "Yeah, I can see you. You're both surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news." "There's good news?" The man on the walkie pauses for a second... "No." The man says simply. Rick looks annoyed, "Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned in here. I've got a three year old girl with me here." The man answers. "Oh man. You should see it from over here. You'd both be having a major freak-out." Rick sighs, "Got any advice for us?" "Yeah, I'd say grab the kid and make a run for it." Rick get's exasperated. "That's it? "Make a run for it"?" The man answers back. "My way's not as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. With me so far?" Rick stares at Charlotte with a concerned look on his face. "So far." The man starts giving instructions. "Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance. Got ammo?" "In that duffel bag I dropped out there, and guns. Can I get to it?" Rick asks. The man on the radio answers rapidly. "Forget the bag, okay? It's not an option. What do you have on you?" "Hang on." Rick puts down the walkie and checks how much ammo he has in his gun. "Yeah. Yeah. I've got a Beretta with one clip, 15 rounds." The man gives him more instructions, "Make 'em count. Grab Charlotte. Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there." Rick than asks. "Hey, what's your name?" The man responds exasperated, "Have you been listening? You're running out of time." "Right."

Rick looks down at Charlotte, "You ready bumblebee?" Charlotte nods. "Yes daddy. I ready!" Rick smiled warmly and kisses her on the forehead and makes his break with Charlotte in his arms after grabbing a metal shard in the tank. Rick opens the top and climbs out while holding Charlotte who points and screams, "Monster!" Rick turns around and sees a walker climbing the tank, he whacks the Walker on the tank with the metal shard, slicing its face wide open. Charlotte looks away scared to death and crying. Rick gently patted Charlotte on the back, "Shh don't cry sweetheart. Daddy's here. It's gonna be ok." Rick jumps off the tank while carrying Charlotte and runs down the street firing at any Walker in his way, killing 8 of them. When Rick ran to the corner to the alley, they saw someone with a baseball cap and Rick pointed his gun at him as he held Charlotte closer to him. "Whoa! Not dead! Come on! Come on! Back here! Come on! Come on!" The Asian guy said, waving for Rick to follow. Rick lowered his gun quickly handed Charlotte to the Asian guy and followed after him. Rick continued to shoot a few walkers as he ran down the alley and the Asian guy started climbing up a ladder with Charlotte in his arms. "What are you doing?! Come on!" The Asian guy yelled to Rick, who was standing at the bottom of the ladder. Rick started climbing up the ladder. As they reached to the top, the Asian guy holding Charlotte set her down gently and helped up Rick. They all stood, looking down at the walkers below, catching there breath. "Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town?" The Asian guy asked sarcastically. "It wasn't my intention," Rick said. "Yeah, whatever. Yeehaw. You're still a dumbass," The Asian guy said as he pushed himself off the railing that he was leaning on and looks at Charlotte with a curious expression on his face that Rick notices. "She's my adopted daughter. I found her alone at the gas station. My name's Rick by the way. Thanks," Rick said as he held his hand out so that the guy could shake it. "Glenn. You're welcome," The guy said, shaking his hand. Glenn walked to the ladder that was behind them. "The bright side: It'll be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy," He said. He started to climb up the ladder. Charlotte followed and then Rick followed her. When they reached the roof, Glenn helped Charlotte over the side. "Are you the one that barricaded the alley?" Rick asked. "Somebody did ... I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking not many geeks would get through," Glenn replied. They got to a hatch in the roof over. "Back at the tank, why'd you stick your neck out for us?" Rick asked. "Call it foolish, naive hope that if I'm ever that far up shit creek, somebody might do the same for me. Guess I'm an even bigger dumbass than you," Glenn said. He took his bag off and threw it down the hole. He got down the ladder of the hole. Rick and Charlotte looked at each other before he nodded to her to go next. Charlotte followed Glenn and Rick followed Charlotte. We got inside a building. We rushed outside and Glenn pulled out a walkie-talkie. "I'm back. Got a guy and a little girl plus four geeks in the alley." They got down another staircase to a door where they stopped as they saw two Walkers. They started walking towards them but then two people came out in black clothing with bats and hitting the walkers to the floor. "Let's go!" Glenn called as Charlotte and Rick followed him through the door the other two people came out of. "Morales, let's go!" The two people came back in and slammed the door shut. Rick, Charlotte and Glenn make their way into the store. "You son of a bitch. We ought to kill you," A blonde woman said to Rick as she pointed in his face her gun. Glenn pulled Charlotte who immediately started screaming and crying her little face red with tears running down her cheeks beside him. "Just chill out, Andrea. Back off," One of the men that was outside said. "Come on, ease up," A black woman said. "Ease up? You're kidding me, right? We're dead because of this stupid asshole," The woman, Andrea said. "Andrea, I said back the hell off! He's got a little kid for Christ's sake! And if you don't her crying's going to attract every walker in the city!" The man yells and they can tell he's about had it. Andrea drops the gun. Jacqui tries to calm down Charlotte who is still crying her eyes out, "Shh sweetie pie. Everything's going to be ok. But you need to stop crying for me right now, ok." Charlotte's lip quivers. "Pwease don't huwt daddy." Morales smiled warmly, "No one is going to hurt you or your daddy sweetheart it was just a misunderstanding. Your safe now. Ok?" Charlotte nods her little head up and down. Andrea looks to Rick when she speaks, "We're dead, all of us, because of you." Rick looks confused. Andrea then looks to Charlotte. "And I see that you brought your daughter along for the ride, too." "I don't understand," says Rick, moving off the wall. The man that calmed Charlotte and Andrea down walked over to Rick. "Look." He grabs Rick and starts to walk out of the room. Andrea picks up Charlotte who's eyes are still red from crying and follows Morales. Everybody else follows as well. "We came into the city to scavenge supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving! You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out, tiptoeing. Not shooting up the streets like it's the O.K. Corral." "Every geek for miles around heard you popping off rounds," T-Dog said to Rick. "You just rang the dinner bell," Andrea said to Rick. "Get the picture now?" The man asked as Rick looked at lots of walkers. A few walkers were attempting to smash through the double set of doors. "Oh God," Andrea said and she held Charlotte close to her as she and the others stepped back with Rick. "What the hell were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asks Rick. "Trying to find the helicopter," Rick replies. "Helicopter?" Questions T-Dog. "That's crap, man, there was no helicopter." "It was a hallucination," adds Jacqui. "You were imagining things. It happens." "I saw it," Rick turns to Charlotte who is still in Andrea's arms. "Didn't you see it, Charlotte?" Charlotte nods her head. "Yes daddy!" "Hey, T-Dog, try that C.B. Can you contact the others?" Morales said. "Others? The refugee center?" Rick asked. "Yeah, the refugee center. They've got biscuits waiting in the oven for us," Jacqui said sarcastically. Charlotte giggled and clapped her hands. "Biscuits! Yay!" Everyone including Andrea started laughing, but the laughter subsided when they realized the walkers were still attempting to break into the store. T-Dog tried to get in contact with some other survivors but got no signal. "Got no signal. Maybe the roof," He said. Suddenly, we heard a gun firing on the roof. "Oh no. Is that Dixon?" Andrea asked. "What is that maniac doing?" Morales asked. "Come on, let's go," Glenn said to Rick as the others started to run with Charlotte in Andrea's arms. They all got to the roof to see a man shooting at several of the walkers on the street below with a sniper rifle. "Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" Morales asked. The man, Dixon laughed and continued shooting. "Oh jeez," Andrea who was still carrying Charlotte said. Dixon laughs and turns around to face us. "Oh, hey!" he speaks in a loud, booming voice. "Y'all be more polite to a man with a gun. Only common sense." "Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dog said as he jumped in front of Dixon. "And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill." "Hey! Bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day," Dixon said. ""That'll be the day"?" T-Dog said. "You got something you want to tell me?" He asked, pointing at himself with his hands. "Hey, T-Dog man, just leave it," Morales said. "No," T-Dog said as he raising his hand to Morales. "All right? It ain't worth it. Now Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble," Morales said. "You want to know the day?" Merle asked. "Yeah," T-Dog said. "I'll tell you the day, Mr. "Yo." It's the day I take orders from a nigger," Merle said. "Mother-" T-Dog immediately swung his fist towards Merle's face, but Merle quickly grabbed his wrist and hit him with the end of his gun. The others started yelling at Merle to stop. Rick tried to stop him but then Merle hit him on the face and he fell on the ground. Charlotte who Andrea gently set down started crying again. "Daddy! No! Not huwt daddy you big meanie!" Merle just laughed and continued beating up T-Dog as Charlotte cried and wailed as Andrea hugged her and tried to calm her down. "Shh baby. It's ok, it's ok. Don't look ok?" Charlotte stopped crying but her eyes were red and her lip was quivering. But she calmed down nevertheless. Merle was beating T-Dog to a pulp and then held a pistol on him when he was on the ground. "No, no, no, please. Please," Andrea said. Everybody waited to see what he was gonna do. "Yeah! All right! We're gonna have ourselves a little powwow, huh?" Merle said as he stood up with his gun pointed. "Talk about who's in charge. I vote me. Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, y'all. Show of hands, huh? All in favor? Huh? Come on. Let's see 'em. All in favor?" He asked as he pointed his gun at the others. Without a choice, they all raised their hands. "Yeah. That's good. Now that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else? Hmm? Anybody?" Rick picked up the rifle. "Yeah." Rick said. and when Merle turned around to face him, he hit him in the face with the rifle. Rick immediately handcuffed Merle to a pipe. "Who the hell are you, man?!" Merle yelled at Rick and then looked at Charlotte. "And who's the lil' chick?" "Officer friendly," Rick said. Then he took Merle's gun. "Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart." "Screw you, man," Merle said. "I can see you make a habit of missing the point," Rick said. "Yeah? Well, screw you twice," Merle said. Charlotte stood beside Glenn as Rick pointed the gun at Merle's head. "Ought to be polite to a man with a gun. Only common sense." "You wouldn't. You're a cop," Merle said and Andrea rolled her eyes. "All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anybody that gets in the way of that is gonna lose," Rick said and then he looked at Charlotte and then back at Merle. "And that little girl over there, she's my adopted daughter. She's under my protection. You so much as look at her wrong your staying on this roof." Rick started to search in Merle's pockets. He found something. "Got some on your nose there," Rick said to Merle and then stood up. It must have been drugs. "What are you gonna do? Arrest me?" Merle asked. Rick threw it. "Hey! What are you doing? Man, that was my stuff! Hey! If I get loose, you'd better pray ... Yeah, you hear me, you pig?! You hear me?!" Morales and Charlotte followed behind Rick. "Yeah, your voice carries," Rick said. Charlotte walked up to her adopted father. "You otay daddy?" "Yeah I'm fine sweetie." Rick said bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek, she giggled and Rick chuckled. Morales stood beside Rick and Charlotte as the three of them looked at the city. "You're not Atlanta P.D. Where you from?" Morales asked Rick. "Up the road a ways. Charlotte as well," Rick said petting Charlotte on the back. "Well, Charlotte and officer friendly from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city," Morales said.

Charlotte walked over to Andrea and Jacqui and stood between them, watching down at the walkers in the street. "My God, it's like Times Square down there," Andrea said. "How's that signal?" Morales asked as he and Rick walked over. "Like Dixon's brain ... Weak," T-Dog replied. Merle gave T-Dog the third finger. Andrea covered Charlotte's eyes. "Keep trying," Morales said. "Why?" Andrea asked. "There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Then she walked away from them. "Got some people outside the city is all," Morales explained, looking at Charlotte and Rick. "There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream." "Then she's right. We're on our own. It's up to us to find a way out," Rick said. "Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear," Merle said. Then he looked at Andrea. "Ain't that right, sugar tits? Hey, honeybunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway." "I'd rather." Charlotte giggled, Andrea smiled at Charlotte and laughed lightly. "Rug muncher. I figured as much." "The streets ain't safe. Now there's an understatement," Morales said. Charlotte stood next to Jacqui. "What about under the streets? The sewers?" Rick suggested. "Oh man. Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?" Morales asked. Glenn checks but sees only some Walkers. "No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are." Glenn said. "Maybe not. Old building like this built in the '20s... Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements." Jacqui said. "How do you know that?" Glenn asked her. "It's my job... was. I worked in the city zoning office." Said Jacqui.

T-Dog stayed to watch over Charlotte and Merle and try to reach the others while Rick and the others walked to the building and got down to the basement to reach a sewer entrance. They looked at the sewer. "This is it? Are you sure?" Morales asked Glenn. "I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down. But I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" He asked and we all looked at him. "Oh. Great." "We'll be right behind you," Andrea said. "No, you won't. Not you," Glenn said. "Why not me? Think I can't?" She asked. "I wasn't ..." He said. "Speak your mind," Rick said. "Look, until now I always came here by myself ... In and out, grab a few things ... No problem. The first time I bring a group ... Everything goes to hell. No offense. If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine ... But only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed. I'll take one person ..." Glenn said. Rick was about to say something but Glenn cut him off. "Not you either. You've got Merle's gun and I've seen you shoot. I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass," He said and looked at Andrea. "And you've got the only other gun, so you should go with him," He said and then looked at Morales and pointed at him. "You be my wingman." Then he looked at Jacqui. "Jacqui stay here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry," Glenn said. "Okay," Said Jacqui nodding in agreement. "Okay, everybody knows their jobs," Rick said. Glenn headed down the ladder, followed by Morales.

Glenn and Morales walk. A rat squeals and Glenn makes a noise.

Rick and Andrea walk back into the department store. The walkers are still there, yes, and they get louder as they near. Rick and Andrea walk a bit closer and they observe that the glass looks more cracked. "Sorry for the gun in your face," Andrea apologizes to Rick. "People do things when they're afraid." Rick states. Not that it's entirely unjustified. You did get us into this." "If I get you guys out, will it make up for it?" "No, but it would be a start." Rick looks at Andrea's gun in her hand. "Next time, though, take the safety off. Don't shoot otherwise." "Oh." "Is that your gun?" "It was a gift. Why?" Rick takes the gun from her. He does something to it and it clicks. "The little red dot means it's ready to fire. May have an occasion to use it," "Good to know." Rick gives the gun back to it's owner.

"Anybody out there? Hello? Anybody read? I'm hoping to hear somebody's voice 'cause I'm getting sick and tired of hearing mine." Charlotte giggled and T-Dog smiles at her. "Yeah, well, that makes two of us. Why don't you knock that crap off? You're giving me a headache, boy." "Why don't you pull your head out of your ass? Maybe your headache will go away." Merle chuckles. "Try some positivity for a change. Damn." Charlotte gasps. You said bad word!" Merle smirked. "I'll tell you what... You get me out of these cuffs and I'll be all "Sammy Sunshine" positive for you. Hey, see that hacksaw over there in that toolbag? Get it for me, hmm? Make it worth your while. What do you say, man? Come on. Get me out of these things." T-Dog scoffed. "So you can beat my ass again? Or call me nigger some more?" "Ooh you said anuder' bad word!" Merle smirked. "Your not a very good influence on her." T-Dog smirked back. "Yeah well neither are you." Charlotte giggled and T-Dog smiled in victory and turned his attention back to the walkie. Merle rolls his eyes, "Come on now. It wasn't personal. It's just that your kind and my kind ain't meant to mix. That's all. It doesn't mean we can't... Work together, parley, as long as there's some kind of mutual gain involved. So... about that hacksaw..." T-Dog eyed Merle. "I guess you want me to get that rifle over there too so you can shoot that cop when he comes back up, huh?" Merle glared at T-Dog. "Huh."

In the sewers, Glenn and Morales continue to look for a way out through the sewers. They reach a grate and wonder if they can break through. "Yeah, we've got ourselves a sewer tunnel. Jacqui was right." Morales said. "Can we cut through it?" Glenn asks Morales, "If we had a blowtorch and half a day, sure. Dale's hacksaw sure as hell won't do it." A Walker appears at the grate eating a rat. Glenn and Morales jump back as the Walker tries to grab at them.

"Oh." Andrea gasps. Rick spots Andrea looking at some jewelry. He approaches her. Andrea looks at a mermaid necklace on the counter. "See something you like?" "Not me, but I know someone who would... My sister. She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, dragons... She's into all that stuff. But mermaids... They rule. She loves mermaids." "Why not take it?" Rick asks Andrea. Andrea smirks, "There's a cop staring at me." Rick chuckles. "Would it be considered looting?" Rick looks at her. "I don't think those rules apply anymore. Do you?" Glass shatters and Walkers start walking in. Rick moves and is willing to shoot. Glenn and Morales join them. "What did you find down there?" "Not a way out." "We need to find a way... And soon."

They all got back to the roof. Rick looked at the city through binoculars. "That construction site, those trucks... They always keep keys on hand," Rick said as he handed Morales the binoculars and he looked through it. Then he looked down at the street. "You'll never make it past the walkers." Rick looked at Glenn. "You got me and Charlotte out of that tank," He said. "Yeah, but they were feeding. They were distracted," Glenn said. "Can we distract them again?" Rick asked. "Right. Listen to him. He's onto something. A diversion, like on "Hogan's Heroes."," Merle said. "God. Give it a rest," Jacqui said, putting her hands on Charlotte's shoulders. "They're drawn by sound, right?" Rick asked. "Right, like dogs. They hear a sound, they come," Glenn replied. "What else?" Rick asked. "Aside from they hear you? They see you, smell you and if they catch you, they eat you," Morales replied. "They can tell us by smell?" Rick asked. "Can't you?" Glenn asked. "They smell dead, we don't. It's pretty distinct," Andrea said. Rick told the group about his plan. They got back to the store and Rick gave them outfits and accessories. "If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold," Glenn said. "He's right. Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through," Morales said. "How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever," Rick said and they all put on trench coats and rubber gloves. Andrea helped Charlotte put on her trench coat and rubber gloves. "You know what to do right Charlotte?" Charlotte nods her head. "Mm-hm." Andrea smiles and kisses her on the forehead. Rick and Morales rushed outside and dragged one of the walkers Morales and T-Dog killed, into the store and then Glenn shut the door. Rick grabbed a fire axe and they all stood around the dead walker. Rick was prepared to start chopping the walker, but he stopped at the last moment. He took off the rubber gloves and got down and searched the walker. He pulled out a wallet. "Wayne Dunlap. Georgia license. Born in 1979," Rick said and he handed Glenn the card. "He had $28 in his pocket when he died ... And a picture of a pretty girl. "With love, from Rachel." He used to be like us ... Worrying about bills or the rent or the Super Bowl. If I ever find my family, I'm gonna tell them about Wayne," Rick said. "One more thing ... He was an organ donor," Glenn said. After a moment of silence, Rick put on the rubber gloves and started to hack away at the walker. The guts really gross everyone out and they start to gag especially Charlotte who looked a little green in the face her nose scrunched up in disgust. "Yucky!" Jacqui rubbed her back soothingly, "It's ok sweetie. It'll all be over soon. Ok?" Charlotte nodded. "Otay." "Keep chopping," Rick said and he handed the axe to Morales. Glenn groans. "I am so gonna hurl," He said. "Later," Rick said. Morales hacked away. "Everybody got gloves? Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes," Rick said. The adults started to put some guts on Rick and Glenn. "Oh God! Oh jeez. Oh, this is bad. This is really bad," Glenn complained. "It's yucky!" Charlotte said. "You got that right." Glenn said. "Think about something else... Puppies and kittens." "Dead puppies and kittens," T-Dog said and then Glenn vomited. "That is just evil. What is wrong with you?" Andrea asked Rick. "Next time let the cracker beat his ass," Jacqui said. "You suck," Glenn said to Rick. "Do we smell like them?" Rick asked. "Oh yeah," Andrea said. Andrea took off one glove. "Glenn," She said as she pulled out her gun and showed it to him. "Just in case." Andrea gave the gun to Glenn. "If we make it back, be ready," Rick said. Charlotte looked like she was about to cry, she ran toward Rick and hugged his legs. "Daddy don't go! Don't weave me!" Andrea gently pried her from Rick's legs. Rick knelt down to her height, "Charlotte I'll be right back I promise. But I need you to be brave for me and Glenn ok?" Charlotte nods slowly. "Otay." Rick smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "What about Merle Dixon?" T-Dog asked. Rick took off one glove and then pulled out a key and tossed it to T-Dog. "Give me the axe," Rick said and Morales did. "We need more guts." And with that, Rick started to chop again. Morales opened the back door for Rick and Glenn. They both walked out and left. Morales closed the door. "Okay, let's go up," He said and the rest of them rushed to the roof. Charlotte was in Jacqui's arms. They got to the roof. "Hey, what's happening, man?" Merle asked but they ignored him and rushed to look for Rick and Glenn. "Hey, T-Dog, try that C.B," Morales said. "Hey, come on. Talk to me, y'all," Merle said but they continued to ignore him. "Base camp, this is T-Dog. Anybody hear me? Can anybody out there hear me?" T-Dog asked. Morales used the binoculars and spotted Rick and Glenn. "There," He said and handed the binoculars to Andrea. Suddenly we heard thunder rumbles. "That asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys?" They heard Merle ask but they ignored him. Charlotte looked at T-Dog and saw he was showing the key to Merle. She giggled and T-Dog smiled at her. Andrea was looking through the binoculars and then handed them to Morales. While Rick and Glenn continue to shuffle down the street, rain started to fall. "Oh man," Morales said. "It's just a cloudburst. We get 'em all the time. It'll pass real quick." Morales handed Charlotte the binoculars and lifted her a little higher so she could see what she was looking at. Andrea looked at Rick and Glenn. The rain was starting to wash of the guts and the walkers started to get a little more aggressive towards Rick and Glenn as if they try to figure out if they are dead or alive. As more guts wash off, the walkers realized that they were indeed alive. One of them started to charge at them and Rick proceeded to crush its skull with the axe. Then Rick and Glenn took off down the street with Rick killing more with the axe and Glenn killing with a crowbar he had. "They in tubble!" Charlotte said, panicking and worried at the same time. She gave Morales the binoculars as Andrea wrapped her arms around her shoulder, trying to calm her. "Come on, come on, come on," Morales said. Rick and Glenn throw their weapons over the fence and climb over it before the walkers were able to get them. While Glenn got to the truck, Rick pulled out a pistol, what he took from Merle and kill more walkers with it. Glenn found the keys to the truck and throw them to Rick. They entered the truck as some walkers started climbing over the fence and running after them. One of them reaches the truck and taps on Glenn's window. The two speed away before the walkers catch up and the rain had stopped. "They're leaving us," Andrea said. "What? What?" Merle asked. "Where they going? Where they going?" Morales asked. "No no, come back," Andrea said. Daddy and Glenn wouldn't leave us. Charlotte knew her daddy and he wouldn't do it. "No daddy! Don't weave me!" Charlotte cried. Andrea hugged Charlotte close to her chest and rubbed her back soothingly. "Don't weave me." Charlotte whispered. "Shh sweetie I know, I know. It's ok." After a few minutes, they heard Glenn's voice from the walkie-talkie, "Those roll-up doors at the front of the store facing the street ... Meet us there and be ready." Charlotte smiled and turned to Andrea. "Day awe coming!" She said and Andrea smiled. She and Jacqui took the bags and then Andrea grabbed Charlotte's hand and they all headed down towards the loading dock to make our escape. "Come on! Let's go, let's go!" Morales said. "Hey, you can't leave me here! I'm not fooling, man! Morales! Hey, man! Don't do this!" Merle yelled. "Come on," Andrea said. Her, Jacqui and Charlotte left the roof. "Morales, come on," Jacqui called while Andrea pulled Charlotte with her. "I'm coming!" Morales called and then rushed behind them. We all got to the loading dock. "Okay. Okay. I got it," Andrea said as they all grabbed the chain. "Shh," Morales said. "What is it?" Andrea asked and then they heard a car engine revs. After a few seconds, T-Dog rushed over to them. "They're here! Let's go! They're in here!" Rick banged on the door. "Let's go! Open the door!" We all opened the door. "We've gotta go!" T-Dog said. They all threw the bags in while Rick rushed to the driver seat with Charlotte in his arms. "Don't weave me daddy." Rick smiled lovingly at Charlotte and kissed her on the forehead, "I'll never leave you sweetheart. Never." I wuv you daddy." "I love you too." Then, Jacqui, Andrea, T-Dog and then Morales got in. "I'm in!" Morales said. Morales closed the back before the walkers can get to them and they make it. They all sighed in relief. Morales sat on the passenger seat and Charlotte noticed Merle wasn't here with them. She knew everyone else noticed it now. "I dropped the damn key," T-Dog said. They know there was nothing that they could do, so they drove away from Atlanta. Charlotte who was resting her head on Rick's shoulder suddenly asked a question that everyone was thinking, "Where Glenn?" "Don't worry sweetheart. He's fine," Rick said. "Otay." "Best not to dwell on it. Merle got left behind. Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back ... Except maybe Daryl," Morales said to Charlotte and Rick. "Daryl?" Rick asked. "Who Daryl?" Charlotte asked. "His brother," Morales replied. "Ohhh. Otay!" Morales laughed and ruffled her hair gently. Then, they heard a car alarm. It was Glenn! "Whoo-hoo!" Glenn sped past them and continued to holler about how much fun he's having. "At least somebody's having a good day," Morales said. They got to the camp. Morales looked between Charlotte and Rick, "Come meet everybody," He said, patting Rick's and Charlotte's back. The others got out on the back. Morales got out and Charlotte stayed on Rick's lap in the passenger seat. Rick sighed and looked down at Charlotte. "It's going to be okay," He said. Charlotte looked at Rick and nodded. "How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" They heard a man ask. "New guy and his little girl ... They got us out," Glenn replied. "New guy and a little girl?" The man asked. "Yeah, they just got into town. Hey, guys! Come say hello," Morales called. Rick got out the truck with Charlotte in his arms. "The guy's a cop like you," Morales said and we both walked up. They saw the man that was talking, he was shocked as he looked at Rick. Charlotte looked at Rick and saw he was the same. Then, he pointed to someone and tried to say something but it didn't come. "Dad! Dad!" They heard a kid yelling. Charlotte saw a boy older than her running straight for Rick and a woman running straight after him. Rick took Carl in his arms, crying. He kissed Carl on the cheek and approached Lori. He hugged them both. It wasn't until after they broke the hug did Lori notice the little blonde haired girl. "Rick who's this?" Rick smiled. "This is Charlotte. I found her at the gas station, she mistook me for her father." Lori smiled warmly and kissed him on the lips and Charlotte on the forehead. "Welcome to the family Charlotte." "Awe you my new mommy?" Lori smiled. "Yes I am and now I want you to meet your big brother Carl. Carl this is Charlotte your little sister." Carl smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you Charlotte. I'm going to be the best big brother you ever had." Rick looked at Charlotte and smiled. "You wanna go play with Carl and his friend Sophia?" "Yeah!" "Cool! Come on let's go!" Later that night, they all sat around the fire and Rick was the first to explain how he woke up from his coma and how he met Charlotte. "Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion ... all those things but ... Disoriented comes closest," Rick said. "Words can be meager things. Sometimes they fall short," Dale said. "I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else ... for a while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I might not wake up from ever," Rick continued. "Mom said you died," Carl said. Rick looked from Charlotte to Carl to Lori and then back at Carl. "She had every reason to believe that. Don't you ever doubt it," Rick said. "When things started to get really bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta, and it never happen," Lori said. "I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell. And from the look of that hospital, it got overrun," Rick said. "Looks don't deceive," Shane said, "I barely got them out, you know?" "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you, Shane. I can't begin to explain it," Rick said. Then Shane saw Ed Peletier, whose family was sitting far away from them, getting up to grab a fire log and putting in the fire. "Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?" Shane said. "It's cold, man," Ed said. "The cold don't change the rules, does it? Keep our fires low, just embers, so we can't be seen from a distance, right?" Shane said. "I said it's cold. You should mind you own business for once," Ed snapped. Shane got up, obviously he was pissed and walked over to Ed. "Go on, pull the damn thing out. Go on!" Carol got up and pulled the log out. Shane walked back over to our side and set down. "Have you given any thoughts to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind," Dale said. Charlotte who was sitting on Lori's lap looked confused. "Who's Daryl Dixie?" Everyone started laughing and Charlotte giggled. Dale smiled warmly, "He's Merle's brother." "Ohhh." Dale and everyone else chuckled. "Dale?" "Yes sweetheart?" Charlotte twiddled with her fingers nervously. "Will you be my gwandpa?" Dale smiled warmly. "I would be happy to be your grandfather sweetheart." Charlotte clapped her hands. "Yay! I wuv you gwandpa!" Everyone chuckled. "I love you too sweetheart." Charlotte yawned and started rubbing her eyes and Lori noticed. "I think it's time for Charlotte and Carl to go to bed. Come on sweetheart it's bedtime." Charlotte pouted. "But I not sweepy." "I know sweetheart but it's late it's time for bed." "Otay." Rick got up. Come on Carl bedtime." "Ok dad." Rick turned to the group. "Goodnight everyone." "Goodnight." Lori tucked in Charlotte who was sleeping next to Carl and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight my little bumblebee." Then Lori went to bed while Rick dimmed down the lantern and then went to bed with Lori.


End file.
